Iran urged to restart nuclear arms talks

Germany’s foreign minister has urged Iran to make “substantial offers” to restart nuclear talks with world powers, telling Israel hat allowing the Islamic republic to develop a nuclear bomb was “not an option”.

Guido Westerwelle’s comments, made during a visit to Jerusalem yesterday, followed weeks of rhetoric in Israel over a possible go-it-alone strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities and calls by Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu for world powers to set a “red line” for Tehran.

Mr Westerwelle, whose country, together with France, Britain, Russia, China and the US, has held three rounds of inconclusive talks with Iran this year, said there was still time for a diplomatic solution but warned Iran not to try to acquire nuclear weapons.

“Nuclear arms in the hands of the Iranian government is not an option and we will not accept this,” he said as he met Mr Netanyahu.

“We share the concern in Israel about the nuclear programme in Iran,” Mr Westerwelle had said earlier, “but it is serious, and it’s crucial, and this means that talks for the sake of talks is not what we are seeking.”– (Reuters)